Falling Fast
by xPhineasx
Summary: Sebastian wants to make things right with Dave, square things to assuage his guilt. Dave however might read more into Sebastian's friendliness than intended. Sebastian might end up wanting Yogi the Bear Cub around more than he admits though.


_Falling Fast_

Sebastian Smythe/Dave Karofsky

Rating: T

Spoilers for "On My Way"

_ Sebastian looked around the bar, surveying the buffet of the night. A few drag queens, some guys in their late twenties who looked like out-of-towners, and the normal collection of over the hill balding men. Rather boring. Bear cub wasn't there, he noticed. That Dave guy who normally came in on Fridays was the only semi-regular even close to his age. That was a shame. It kind of sucked to be the only guy under twenty-five in the room. _

_ "Hey Tony. A Grey Goose lemonade to start." Sebastian ordered his regular start of the night drink, settling into a few hours of fishing. Tony had seen Sebastian's fake ID enough times to not even question a drink order anymore. One of the queens looked like he might be good for a little entertainment, but Sebastian aimed to be significantly drunker before he walked over._

_ "You hear about that bear cub who comes in here?" One of the guys on the bar, Craig, said to the drag queen next to him. Gossip. Sebastian listened in, wondering what was being passed around in the way of juicy tidbits. "Grant works at the hospital. Said he saw the kid in there yesterday. Suicide attempt."_

_ "What?" Sebastian said, forgetting that he shouldn't have been listening in. He spun in his chair to face the older men. _

_ "Oh hey, 'Bastian. Yeah. That Karofsky guy. Tried to hang himself." _

_ Sebastian felt a rock settle in his stomach. Suicide? _

_ "...Bastian, you ok?" _

_ Was he ok? A kid tried to hang himself, a kid Sebastian knew. "No, I...Tony, cancel that drink I...need to...go home..." _

_ "Everything ok?"_

_ Sebastian ignored the question though, heading to the door as quickly. Every nasty word he had said to Dave was flashing through his head, underscored again and again by that word: Suicide. _

. . .

Sebastian counted himself both blessed and cursed that there was only one decent coffee shop in Lima. On one hand, it was a constant reminder of the hell living in Ohio was. On the other hand, it made it incredibly easy to locate people he was looking for. The number of places for a teenager to hang out in Lima was rather limited. If he hung out long enough, it was really only a matter of time before the guy he wanted to see would show up.

Kurt Hummel liked to joke that he lived in the Lima Bean. Kurt Hummel thought he was so funny that the sunlight of the humor God shined out of his puckered little asshole. Sebastian did spend a lot of time in the Lima Bean though. He enjoyed people watching. He had grown accustomed to long hours in coffee shops when he was in Paris, and it was hard to kick the habit. Today wasn't about casual people watching though, he was waiting.

Only forty-five minutes into his caffeinated stake out, and Sebastian's patience was duly rewarded.

Dave Karofsky bustled over to the counter, ordered whatever the seasonal super sugary iced coffee of the month was, and slid into one of the least conspicuous booths in the little shop. How that guy had ever dreamed of staying in the closet with a drink order like that was beyond Sebastian. A drink with that many adjectives should set off any gay-dar in a five mile radius.

After getting his drink, a textbook and a notebook were spread across the table, and it appeared as though the boy was getting down to some homework. Good, nothing important then.

The guy had been out of the hospital for a week, starting at a new school it seemed. He looked...thinner than when Sebastian had first seen him, but in unhealthy sickly ways. Like the guy had spent a week in a hospital bed, which of course he had.

_"So how do you get a guy to like you?"_

Sebastian knew Dave vaguely from Scandals. He had seen him around, flashed him a smile now and then, just because it was fun seeing a guy his own age there. He probably hadn't said more than a dozen words to Dave directly before_ that night. _

_ "You get a guy? Please." _ Sebastian closed his eyes, trying to bite down the rising guilt. It had been so funny, those witty, snarky comments. He had gone home thinking how funny he was, how bad ass he must have seemed. _"Just stay in the closet, buddy." _

_ Suicide attempt. _Sebastian had sat in his car for almost an hour before he was able to drive home, half paralyzed by the realization that his words had done far more than just crack down on a stranger's ego.

"Hey," Sebastian slunk up next to the table and rather than give Dave one of his rather dazzling smirks, he only managed a rather weak smile. He was still in his Dalton blazer, mostly because he knew how good it made him look. "So, how do you get a guy to like you?"

Karofsky looked up from what appeared to be a physics text book, his face twisting with confusion. "Sebastian? From Scandals?"

Sebastian nodded and sat down. "Yeah, that's me, in the flesh," he said with a small grin. "Studying?"

"I have some catching up to do," he said and looked away. Clearly he wasn't comfortable talking about what had happened. Sebastian couldn't blame him. He couldn't even imagine...Dave cleared his throat and continued. "Kurt...told me that you had the Warblers dedicate your performance to me."

"Tinkerbell likes to gossip," Sebastian said with a laugh.

"Right. Did you need something?" Dave asked, frowning.

Sebastian cleared his throat. "Listen...Dave...I just wanted to say sorry." His voice dropped into more sincere tones. He looked down at the table, staring at his hands. He had practiced what he wanted to say before hand. "I didn't really mean those things I said to you in Scandals. You're not...a hundred pounds over weight or anything. I was...a complete...ass to you. I thought it would be...funny to be rude to you and I'm a douche. I just...wanted to say that."

"...Oh. Thank you." Dave was looking at his hands awkwardly as well. "I...didn't do it because of what you said though. But thanks."

"No problem," Sebastian stood up and cleared his throat. He had said what needed saying. It was like a weight lifting off his chest, and the guilt ebbed just a little. He had soldiered through the awkwardness. "Well, I should go. Lacrosse practice. You should come by Scandals sometime. Let me buy you a drink."

"A pity date?" Dave asked with a frown.

Sebastian laughed. "I didn't say it was a date. See you around, bear cub."

. . .

It took Dave a few weeks to show up at Scandals again. He showed up later than normal. Sebastian was already two Grey Goose lemonades down, and on the dance floor when Dave walked in. He was looking really good again. Sure, he jeans didn't fit just right, but the button up shirt and thin tie looked really sharp. Sebastian wondered if he was on the football team at his new school. He certainly was fit enough for it.

Scandals was busy that night, as full as it got really. It couldn't match up to the shoulder to shoulder crowds Sebastian had seen at big city clubs of New York or Paris, of course, but it still filled the air with the heat of skin and the musk of men.

Sebastian sashayed over to him. "Well, hey there, Yogi."

"Sebastian," Dave gave him one of his hesitant, cuddly little smiles that make him look confused. "...did you just call me Yogi?"

"Bear cub? Yogi. Or would you prefer Pooh-Bear?" Sebastian smirked. He was rather proud of the nickname personally.

"I..." Dave was clearly flustered by that.

"Never mind that. Lemme get you that drink I promised you," he said and strutted over to the bar with Dave following close behind. He could feel Dave's eyes on his body, lingering on the places were his jeans cupped his ass in just the right way.

"Tony," Sebastian cooed to the bartender. "I'd like another vodka lemonade, and get Yogi the bear cub here whatever he wants, on my tab."

"Just a beer," Dave said as he slid into a barstool next to Sebastian.

"Coming up, 'Bastian," Tony said and got the drinks. Dave raised his bottle to Sebastian in a silent toast.

"So you're at a new school?" Sebastian asked, knocking back his drink. "They have a football team?"

"North West Memorial. Yeah," Dave said and smiled. "It seems like a cool enough place. I'm only on B team, but I'll probably get on varsity soon enough."

"You should have considered Dalton. We could use a guy like you on the lacrosse team," Sebastian said, quirking one eyebrow in a way he knew looked flirty.

"I'd look awful in a Blazer," Dave laughed.

"Oh, don't short yourself," Sebastian said, but he was quickly tiring of small talk. He chugged down the rest of his drink. "Come dance." Sebastian laughed. He felt flirty, he was flirty, he was drunk, and young, and hot and enjoying himself far too much.

"I don't really dance though," Dave protested.

"You have no idea how to dance, do you Yogi? Well, if you want to seduce Tinkerbell Hummel, you better know how to dance. Let me show you," Sebastian laughed and slipped off his bar stool.

"Kurt and I are just friends," Dave said rather defensively.

"And when Tinkerbell and Blainers have finally exhausted the world's supply of cliché saccharine homoerotic stomach-churning adorableness and break up at long last, you're going to need to know how to dance if you want to get him. You also might want to start learning Katy Perry songs. But let's start with dancing ok?" Sebastian loosely grabbed Dave's tie and pulled him out towards the dance floor.

Dave moved disjointedly, oozing an endearing level of awkwardness. He seemed almost afraid to touch Sebastian, and it was hilarious how little rhythm he had. They moved through the sea of other bar-goers with relative ease, swaying against each other.

"Here, like this," Sebastian smirked, grabbed Dave's hands and placing them on his hips. "Now just kind of...sway to the beat, ok?" he laughed. Dave's hands were warm, and as Sebastian moved and swayed against him he could feel Dave slowly relaxing into the motion. "See you're getting the hang of it," Sebastian laughed.

"I guess," Dave laughed. The music changed to something slower with a deeper base. Sebastian slowed to match. He could feel the warmth of Dave's body radiating against his own skin. It was intoxicating.

Sebastian looked up at Dave's face, smirking. This close, the guy really wasn't that bad looking. A little stubble on his boyish cheeks, deep eyes that couldn't seem to settle anywhere for long, and those lips, full, nearly chapped, and temptingly unsullied.

"You don't really know how to kiss a guy either, do you?" Sebastian asked, running his tongue over his bottom lip slowly.

"...no." Dave blushed slightly. "I mean, I never really..."

"Well..." Sebastian stopped moving, placing both his hands on Dave's torso. Slowly he slid his hands up Dave's chest, to his neck, pressing himself closer and pressed their lips together. Dave melted into the kiss slowly, nervous. Sebastian eased him into it, running his tongue along Dave's lips until they parted for him, threading his fingers up into Dave's hair.

He pulled away from Dave slowly, a smirk wide across his face. "What are you doing for the rest of the night?" The implication sat there, an offer, lingering on the dance floor.

"I...need to go home," Dave said and took a small step back. No one else in the club seemed to have noticed their little PDA moment.

"Do you?" Sebastian tilted his head and raised his eyebrows.

"Thanks for the dance, Seb." Dave said and headed for the door, clearly flustered.

"Next time, Yogi." Sebastian laughed.

. . .

Sebastian was leaving lacrosse practice when his phone rang. He glanced at it, surprised by the name that flashed on the screen. "Hey Blainers. Didn't think I'd ever see your name on my caller ID again. Couldn't stay away, hm?"

"Hi Sebastian," Blaine sounded unhappy to be talking to him. Sebastian couldn't really blame him. "Hey...Kurt said you've been seeing Karofsky."

"Saw him at Scandals, yeah. Why?" Sebastian hitched his lacrosse gear over his shoulder as he headed out to his car.

"I was just...wondering why, I guess. What are you trying to do?"

"What do you think I'm trying to do?" Sebastian laughed. Of course Pongo and Perdita assumed he was scheming. He was their Cruella Deville.

"I don't know, Sebastian." Blaine said.

"I know you think I'm a scummy guy Blaine. But, I just showed him a good time. I'm not manipulating him, or trying to get blackmail."

"Really?" Blaine said over the phone.

"Yes, really. He's a cool guy. Don't worry about it. It's not a big deal. We had a night on the dance floor, that's all." Sebastian hung up abruptly and started his car. He didn't want to discuss Dave with Blaine, no way. That conversation would not be pleasant. He had squared things with Dave. He could try to put that guilt behind him now.

He hadn't faked liking him. Dave, despite not being his usual type, was actually kind of cute, at entertaining. It had been fun. That was all, no scheming involved.

. . .

Dave started coming to Scandals almost every week again and they found a new rhythm. They'd share a drink, dance, make out a little. There would be an invitation back to Sebastian's place that was always refused, and Dave would go home. Lather, rinse, repeat. But Sebastian was learning to enjoy it. Dave was getting better at dancing too, if nothing else.

. . .

"Ok guys, let's take that from the top again!" Sebastian said. The Warblers had lost at regionals, but that didn't mean they had to just stop improving for the rest of the year. They had lost fairly, and there was no shame in that. They had decided to practice some Queen songs for a while, just because they were fun. It was a good time.

Currently they were working on Don't Stop Me Now, but Killer Queen was coming up and that was what Sebastian was really looking forward to.

His phone gave a small beep in his pocket. He flipped his phone out quickly.

"A text, Sebastian?" Trent asked, looking over at him.

"Mhm. From Karofsky, actually."

"Oh, how's he doing?" Trent leaned over, being nosey.

'_Meet me at the Lima Bean after my football practice? 5:30?' _The text read.

"He seems fine," Sebastian said and slipped the phone back in his pocket. An invitation to coffee? "Let's run through this song a once more, ok?"

. . .

Dave set his mocha down in front of Sebastian and took his seat across from him. Sebastian wondered vaguely if Dave always looked nervous, or if it was a trait that Sebastian just saw a statically high amount of the time while he was around him.

"So, Seb, I was thinking, maybe...instead of Scandals, you'd let me take you to a movie this weekend?" Dave asked and took a sip of his coffee. The boy's face was slowly turning red as he asked, clearly embarrassed.

Sebastian let out a small scoff. "Look, Yogi, I'm not your _boyfriend_. I don't do _boyfriends_. Are you high?"

"Seb." Dave's voice was hurt, curling into familiar defensive tones.

"What?" Sebastian sighed. He shook his head and looked away. This wasn't going to be fun, he could already tell. Fantastic. "Aren't you all about Kurt anyway?"

"Kurt and I are just friends...I thought..."

"Oh come off it," Sebastian groaned and leaned back in his seat. "Don't look like I just slapped you in the face. Super not hot. I don't have relationships. They're boring, and stupid and pointless. What we have going is fun, Dave, but we aren't dating."

"It's not pointless." Dave frowned, his brow lowering.

"Yes, it is, Pooh-Bear," Sebastian rolled his eyes in disgust. "What? You wanna date? We're in high school, what's the point? Hell, we live in Ohio! It's not like we're could get MARRIED anyway. Get a house with a picket fence and a fucking puppy."

"I'm not asking you to marry me, Seb. I was asking for a movie."

"And if your new football buddies saw us? No thanks. Don't need that drama. You can keep your commitment. All I wanted was for you to suck me off anyway," Sebastian snorted.

"Ass." Dave stood up.

"Just don't go hang yourself over it," Sebastian snapped. He regretted saying it as soon as the words left his mouth. Too late though. There was a cold fury and a kind of hurt on Dave's face as he shoved his chair in and walked out of the coffee shop.

. . .

Sebastian lay in bed, staring up at the darkened ceiling of his room. His conversation from the coffee shop kept running through his head. It made his stomach knot up in cramps.

He hadn't felt this way since...dammit. He hadn't felt like _this_ since he had lived in France. Ever since he had ended up dating a boy two years older than him in school, and then got dumped. It was the same revolting _sentimentality_ and nauseating _regret._

He rolled onto his stomach and tried to ignore it.

It wasn't working.

. . .

Dave had stopped showing up at Scandals again. Sebastian sat at the bar, watching the door, waiting, drinking Grey Goose lemonade after Grey Goose lemonade, waiting for a boy who never showed up.

"Hey, Bastian, everything alright?" Craig leaned over and asked. Craig was a cool enough guy. Over thirty, not Sebastian's type at all, but nice enough. A bit too into gossip though.

"Mmhm," Sebastian said, not turning to look at the man.

"Waiting for the bear cub?" His voice was teasing.

"Mmhmm."

"Awww. Ain't it sweet." Craig cooed.

Sebastian snorted, and asked for another drink. This wasn't working. He was going insane.

He didn't like this at all, this feeling like he _needed_ to see Dave, feeling like he _needed_ anyone or anything. It was like having the rug pulled out from under his feet, like he was falling, and it was terrifying.

. . .

This time Sebastian was at home, laying in bed when his phone rang. "Ah, Peter Pan. Is this going to be a thing again?"

Blaine audibly sighed on the other end of the line. "Sebastian."

"Yes?" Sebastian asked. He had been in the middle of debating whether or not Scandals was worth going to if he knew Dave wouldn't show. Blaine's call was a welcome distraction.

"What did you do to Dave Karofsky?" Blaine asked. Sebastian groaned. This wasn't going to be a distraction at all.

"Nothing," he said with a sigh.

"No, really, Sebastian, what did you do?" Blaine insisted.

"...is he ok?" Sebastian asked. Dread dropped into his stomach with a sickening jolt.

"He seemed upset but...not that upset, no. He's just been acting weird for a few weeks now, and Kurt thinks you're to blame," Blaine admitted.

"Well Chip 'n Dale Hummel should mind his own business in my opinion," Sebastian snorted.

"You're not going to tell me what happened, are you?" Blaine asked.

"Nope, sorry Blainers. But...I am going to make things right." He hung up.

. . .

Sebastian wandered up to the North Lima Memorial High School's football field. He had cut his last class at Dalton, and driven here, still in his blazer. He could see Dave out on the field, running drills with his new team. He felt like he was spying somehow, like he didn't belong. He hadn't been in Public School since elementary, before he lived in France even.

After a few minutes, the team took a water break. It didn't take but a second for Dave to see him and jog over. He was red faced and sweaty from the drills, and it filled Sebastian was the most unwelcome wave of _fucking butterflies in his stomach_.

"What are you doing here Seb?" Dave asked as he reached him.

"You know you're the only person who calls me that?" Sebastian said and bowed his head with a grin. "All the guys at the bar call me Bastian."

"No, really, what are you doing here?" Dave insisted. He was clearly unhappy about Sebastian being there. No mood for small talk then it seemed.

"Scared your football buddies will ask about me?" Sebastian asked and looked back up at him.

"Seb," Dave glanced back at his teammates nervously. Sebastian had called it. Dave didn't want to get chased out of yet another school. It was understandable.

"You haven't been back to Scandals. Or answered my texts," Sebastian said, answering his first question.

"Worried I had killed myself?" Dave asked bitterly. Sebastian regretted what he had said again. He really hated this feeling that only Dave inspired in him; remorse. No one else made him feel shitty when he did shitty things.

Sebastian looked back down at his feet and shoved his hands in his pockets. "...I'm an asshole. I've told you that before. I'm sorry, ok?"

"So what do you want?" Dave asked.

"Coffee?" Sebastian said. "A chance to talk?"

"...Lemme finish my football practice first. 5:30." Dave put his helmet back on.

"Football is super hot. I'll be at the Lima Bean," Sebastian said. "I'll let you get back to practice."

. . .

Sebastian leaned against the wall outside the Lima Bean, waiting. He felt too wired to sit inside. It felt like everyone was watching him. At 5:35 Dave finally pulled up in his truck.

He walked over and leaned on the brick wall besides Sebastian, about a foot apart. There was an awkward heavy silence as Sebastian tried to think of where to start.

He felt like an idiot. He had insulted this boy, added to the bullying that nearly killed him, apologized, flirted with him, rejected him, and now here he was, trying to get him? Sebastian knew he was a fairly fucked up person, but it was moments like this when he realized how ridiculously he could mess things up for himself.

Finally, Sebastian broke the silence. "Did your teammates ask who I was? Did you tell them I do autographs?"

"I told them you were from my old school," Dave cleared his throat.

"Ah," Sebastian cleared his throat. "Well, good, I guess. So, no autographs for me to sign?"

"What did you want to talk about?" Dave asked, ignoring Sebastian little comments. He looked hesitant to be there at all. Of course he did, the guy had been through a rough few months, and Sebastian had been jerking him around.

"Look...come back to Scandals," Sebastian said, looking sideways at Dave. He gave him a flirty smile. "You know you miss it."

"I don't really want to."

"It's boring without you. Just a bunch of old queens and tacky music," Sebastian complained. "And you're still terrible at dancing. I should really help you get better. If you're ever going to win Tinkerbell over-"

"I'm not trying to win Kurt over, Sebastian. If you're sick of Scandals then stop going yourself," Dave shook his head. "I'm not interested in just hooking up with random dudes, anyway."

"Dammit!" Sebastian spat. "I want you to go, Yogi. I _want you _there." He sighed. "Do I have to say it?

"Say what?" Dave furrowed his brow.

_"I miss you." _Sebastian said, and the words felt tacky and embarrassing on his tongue.

"...Seb, you said-"

"I say a lot of things, Dave. I say things that I don't mean. I shoot myself in the foot a lot. It's a failing, ok? One of my few failings, yes. But a failing all the same." Sebastian crossed his arms over his chest. "Contrary to popular belief, I'm capable of screwing up."

"I don't think that's in dispute. I just-"

"What is the problem? You like me, don't you? I thought you wanted a relationship and all that crap." Sebastian huffed. This wasn't going the way he wanted at all. This was too hard, too close to being honest. "I'm telling you I want you around."

"Sebastian, I think you only want what you can't have," Dave said. "I was thinking about it, and I don't want to get dumped as soon as we get further than making out. I want more than that. I know you think it's stupid."

Sebastian let out a small disbelieving laugh, shaking his head.

"I mean it, Seb."

"Look, maybe you're right," Sebastian took a deep breath. "I don't have a long attention span. I get bored with guys. I don't do monogamy. So maybe I'll forget about you once I get you," the words were tumbling out of Sebastian without thought or filter. "But Dave...I...won't be able to stop thinking about you until I have you. I'm losing my fucking mind. I guess you'll just have to find ways of keeping my attention. I think you can at least try."

"You can't stop thinking about me?" Dave pushed off from the wall and turned to face Sebastian fully. His eyebrows were raised in surprise. Sebastian guessed that no one had ever really said anything like that to him before.

"Spot on, Yogi Bear," Sebastian felt the tension in his chest ease a little. He was gaining footing again, finding his balance. "Now come on, you're being way too hot right now. Come to my place? Pasta? Movie? Any excuse to get you on my bed? I'll let you look at my etchings or whatever the cliché is."

"You're a little twisted."

"I know," Sebastian grinned widely. He looped one of his thumbs into Dave's belt loop and pulled him a fraction of an inch closer.

"Seb, I'm not sleeping with you tonight," Dave let out one of his warm, gooey smiles. Dave's hands leaned on the wall on either side of Sebastian's head. They had forgotten where they were, how public this was.

"Yogi, I'm not saying you have to," Sebastian replied and grinned even wider.

"Stop calling me Yogi, and I'll consider a movie." Dave was chuckling.

"Smokey then, and it'll be a movie watched on my bed," Sebastian's face had melted into a full, toothy, satisfied smirk.

"Sebastian," Dave was shaking his head, still chuckling.

"Boo-Boo?"

"I mean it." Dave was really laughing now.

"Dave..." he said softly and lifted his lips to Dave's. "Dave."

. . .

_One Month Later_

"So...you're dating Dave," Kurt said. They were sitting in the Lima Bean across from one another. Blaine and Dave were both in line getting their drinks. Kurt was unhappy about this entire affair. While it was nice that Dave wasn't pining after him, Sebastian wasn't someone that Kurt was exactly pleased to see Dave trust his heart to.

"Observant, aren't you?" Sebastian gave a sleazy grin. The boy may have apologized and ended his reign of terror, but that hadn't made him any more polite. "By the way, adorable outfit. How many Smurfs did you have to skin to make that sweater?"

"Listen up, meerkat," Kurt snapped, ignoring the jab at his navy blue sweater. "If you hurt Dave, I will personally make your life a living hell."

"I _would _tell you that I'd like to see you try, but..."

"But?"

"You don't have to worry."

"Hey, you two getting along?" Dave placed a hand on Sebastian's shoulder as he walked up and eased back into his chair.

Sebastian gave a genuine smile, and Kurt realized that he really didn't have to worry after all.


End file.
